Travel More for Better Health

January 05, 2014
Last month, the U.S. Travel Association, in partnership with the Global Coalition on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, released the results of a research study that showed a link between travel and positive health outcomes
By: Kenneth Shapiro

Kenneth Shapiro

Last month, the U.S. Travel Association, in partnership with the Global Coalition on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, released the results of a research study that showed a link between travel and positive health outcomes. Basically, the study showed that people who travel are healthier and happier than those who don’t travel.

I imagine some of you might be thinking, “I could have told you that.” But it’s useful to have actual data to back up something that many of us in the travel industry know instinctively.

For instance, the study showed that those who travel are significantly more satisfied in mood and outlook compared to those who do not travel (86 percent compared to 75 percent). Further, 77 percent of Americans who travel report satisfaction with their physical health and well-being, while only 61 percent of those who do not travel say the same. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of survey respondents report walking more and getting more exercise on trips than they do at home.

Travel also has cognitive benefits. A white paper released as a complement to the study, titled “Destination Healthy Aging: The Physical, Cognitive and Social Benefits of Travel,” reports that the stimuli associated with travel, including navigating new places, meeting new people and learning about new cultures, can help delay the onset of degenerative disease.

“Travel is good medicine,” explained Dr. Paul Nussbaum, president and founder of the Brain Health Center, Inc. and a clinical neuropsychologist and adjunct professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Because it challenges the brain with new and different experiences and environments, it is an important behavior that promotes brain health and builds brain resilience across the lifespan.”

We can all get too set in our ways at times, but it’s important to remind your clients that any perceived hassle involved in traveling is greatly outweighed by the physical, mental and emotional benefits of taking a vacation. Plus, the best way for them to make the travel-planning process easier is to let a travel agent take the burden off of them. This approach is a win-win for you and your clients.